Jumbo-Visma has announced Steven Kruijswijk will lead their team at the 2020 Vuelta a Espana.
The Dutch rider is the first team leader to announce his intentions to start in the Spanish grand tour and he did so just minutes after the announcement of the complete route of the race in Madrid.
Kruijswijk will fight for the final victory just as his teammate Primoz Roglic did in 2019, and he will have the additional motivation of the race’s departure in the Netherlands.
“I see it as a great opportunity to try and get on the podium in the Vuelta,” said the rider who was on the final podium of the 2019 Tour de France. “Every grand tour that starts in the Netherlands has something extra for us as a Dutch team. For me, two stages really stand out.
“The stage with the finish on the Tourmalet and on the Angliru. Those are climbs that I know both. Those stages suit me and are meant for me. These are often the unique stages that are pivotal in a grand tour to do something.”
Kruijswijk will have been looking for further Grand Tour opportunities next year but another chance to win the Tour was always going to be a big ask due to Dumoulin signing from Sunweb as well as Primoz Roglic seeking new challenges after winning the 2019 Vuelta.
